I love waking up in the darkness every morning and watching the sun rise as I prepare my warm water with lemon. I love going out in the crisp fresh air and breathing in the new day while walking to the metro station. And after a good day of work, I love coming home and cooking something warm and homy. It allows me to unwind and disconnect from my day.

Recently, I’ve been pretty busy and I feel like I rush more, and I’m having a harder time completely disconnecting from everything I have to do to truly enjoy cooking and eating.

Yesterday, I went for a swim after work and while walking home under the heavy rain, feeling amazingly good (because that’s how swimming will make you feel!), I weirdly just wanted to eat warm, comforting oatmeal. So I cooked this super simple oatmeal recipe in 15 minutes and accompanied it with a green bean salad. Then, I sat down to eat while pinning inspirational fall photos and reading the latest news online and felt peaceful and super happy.

Here is my version of happiness in a bowl for 1 (make the quantities vary according to your hunger level):

1/3 cup Oatmeal

2/3 cup Water

Frozen blueberries

Maple Syrup

Walnuts

Bring water to a boil and add the oatmeal, reduce the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes (follow the cooking instructions on your oatmeal box).

When you’re done, add as many blueberries, chopped walnuts and maple syrup as it makes you happy!

On the side, I prepared this simple salad. Just mix all ingredients together:

Kale

Black beans

Chopped cucumbers

Maple Syrup

Olive Oil

Black Pepper

It was my perfect fall dinner, if you can call that a dinner. Who decided what a dinner needed to look like anyways, right? Always eat what you’re body tells you will make you feel happy!

The last long weekend of the Summer is now a thing of the past and reality is quickly setting in. With the stressful weeks ahead, whether at work or school, one thing is certain : breakfast needs to be filling and yummy so you can start your days in high spirits!